The Portland daily press., 1887-10-24
DEXTER'S SENSATION.
Stain and Cromwell Appear For Their
Hearing Saturday.
Thousands Flock 10 Town to See
the Prisoners,
Making a General Holiday Of the
Great Occasion.
Dexter Men Swear That They Remem.
ber the Respondents.
The Alleged Murderers Bound Over to
the February Term.
Especial to the Press.l

Especial to the Pressl
DEXTER, Oct. 22.-Once before, and only
once before, have the scenes of today been
equalled in this village. Eight years ago,
when Detective Virgins, confident that he had
solved the most famous mystery Maine ever
had, and flushed with his apparent success,
brought Jimmie Hope to Dexter for prelim-
mary trial at the scene of the crime, there
was an equal excitement. and an equal gath
ering of the people of this region. Some Of
the actors in the scene eight years ago have
passed away; many of the throng of today
were then too young to comprehend the ex-
citing event. But the story of Barron's
death and of the great mystery that hangs
over it has been told again and again In
every household in this part of Maine until
it has become to the oldest man and young
est child. alike, the one subject, the shadow
of mystery upon which it has never lightened
to lessen curiosity or silence speculation.
To community in which mystery such
as that attending the death of CashierBarron
had, for so long a time, remained unsolved,
the arrest of two men charged with the rob-
berry of the bank and the murder of the ofic-
ial to whose care its property had been in
trusted, caused the widest excitement Ever
since the announcement that the alleged
murderers were in the hands of the officers,
was first published, the one topic Of conversa-
tion among the people of Dexter has been
The Barron case. The daily news concern
ing the prisoners and their past life, and the
theories which have since been advanced,
respecting the crime and its perpetrators,
have been eagerly read as they were pub
llshed from day to day in the columns of
the PRESS.
The arrival of the officers and their pris-
oners, when large part of the population
of the town managed to get glimpse of the
suspected parties brought to number of
the spectators the conviction that they had
seen the prisoners before These persons,
all of them citizens of Dexter, and as to the
honesty of whose belief in the identity of
Stain and Cromwell with the suspicious
characters whom the witnesses remembered,
no one entertained doubt, expressed their
Willingness to appear at the trial. At the
first hearing the prosecution asked for time
to collect their evidence, and postpone
ment was granted. The desire of the people
Of Dexter and vicinity to hear the testimony
of their fellow citizens, and their curiosity
to see if anything further was to be pres ent-
ed in the way of evidence, were made known
by the preparations they commenced to
make in order that that they might see and
hear all that transpired ION the great day.
Operatives in the mills worked overtime to
gain the leisure to attend the trial, and when
the train arrived from Bangor this morning
hrin Oi0U tha fba I..l1 -.
which the bearing was to take place, was
packed with people representing all degrees
of Dexter society. Around the station was
collected big crowd anxious for first
glance at the arrivals, and at the door of the
hall was another mass of men and boys,
while along the streets were lines of men,
women and chi ldren, all of whom were busy
talking about the coming trial.
From the surrounding country an army of
people early began to pour into town. They
came in all sorts of vehicles. They came on
the cars and they came on foot. Whole
families came and in many cases entire
neighborhoods moved on Dexter en- masse.
The inhabitants who looked at the mass of
people in the streets of their enterprising
village, lcould not recall another time, at
which anywhere near the number of people
were in the town, excepting at the time
of Barron's death and when Hope
was brought here. Before the arrival guesses
at the size of the crowds were mingled with
the prevailing talk about the case. All sorts
OF estimates were made and big figures were
common. The man who made the estimate
which seemed to be generally accepted by
| the crowd was an old fellow who exclaimed,
"Well, its all Penobscot county anyhow"
During the day, the town looked as if a
circus and big one was exhibiting. The
| venders OF fruit and sandwiches were out in
force and at noon, in all directions, were the
country people lunching upon the contents
of their picnic backets while their horses
were tied by the fences and nearly every
stable in the village contained one or more
visiting animals.
Long before ten o'clock every seat in the
hall was occupied and every standing place
was taken, while places where no one had
ever sat or stood before had their occupants.
The stage was cleared of scenery and was
utilized by many af the spectators as van
tage ground from which to view the pro-
ceedings. The gallery was filed with ladies
and children, and many ladies, as well as
a host OF men, could not gain admission. In
all there must have been 1000 people in the
hall.
The government had made preparations
for vigorous prosecution of the case At
torney General Baker had come to Dexter,
and with him were County Attorney Apple
ton and Anson M. Goddard, Esq. Mr.. APP
pleton had previously been connected with
the Barron case, and when Jimmy Hope
was brought to Dexter, Mr.. Appleton was
one of the lawyers associated in his defence.
Ex-Governor Plaisted was also here.
1t was just ten O'Clock when the train
stopped at the station platform and the pris-
oners, under the charge of the officers STEP
ped from the cars and faced the crowd. They
were placed in carriages and driven rapidly
through the streets to the hall. High Sher.
iff Brown led Cromwell into the building
and Stain was under the charge of Sher il
Barker The arrival of tie prisoners Great
ed the greatest confusion. Excited men
pushed on by. those behind them, threatened
to overturn the temporary bench and the
seats around it, Officers did what they
could to hold back the crowd and Judge
Waldron repeatedly raped for order. But
popular curiosity and excitement gave little
thought to Judge Waldron and the officers
|
the criminals to have good look at them.
Cromwell:sat by the side of his wife, He
showed the effect of his Imprisonment, anC
appeared nervous, from time to time anxious
ly glancing at the throng around him. Hi.
wife seemed greatly affected by the proceed
ings, and as the testimony of her husband
accusers was given she cried bitterly. Stain
retained his self-possession. He took th,
greatest interest in the proceedings, appar
emily closely following the testimony Of tn,
witnesses When County ATTORNEY Annie
ton predicted the conviction of the men, il
making his opening, there was long and iou(
cheering. hut Stains face did not change q
muscle. He sat motionless. leaning slight,
forward and eyeing the crowd. Beside hin
sat his daughter, Cora Stain. She is abou
25 years old, but looks younger, and, in he
stylish suit, presented marked contrast t
her fathers appearance